


catalyst

by thulkwarrior



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, The Scorch Trials - Freeform, and shocked, confused, just boys being cute in the scorch, thomas has two moods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27337324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thulkwarrior/pseuds/thulkwarrior
Summary: “When you leaked WICKED information to us, they had been sending your friends into the Maze’s for years... we wanted to know what suddenly changed your mind".
Relationships: Newt/Thomas (Maze Runner)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 148





	catalyst

**Author's Note:**

> me writing the maze runner fanfiction in 2020? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> the whole thing is pretty much canon compliant except the timelines are NOT gonna make even a little sense. i know newt had been in the maze for like 3 years before thomas got there we're just gonna have to pretend for the sake of this oneshot. enjoy!

Thomas wanted so badly to sit still.

He had been running for so long; his swollen ankles and blistered feet wanted nothing more than to stop. To rest. But after running for as long as he could remember, literally, sitting still felt like an illicit pleasure that went against every cell in his body. Every aspect of his biology. 

The chair beneath him scraped across the floor as his leg bounced anxiously, as if preparing to spring up at any second. The IV slowly extracting blood from his arm swung gently as he wrung his hands together. 

Brenda lay on the bed in front of him, her chest rapidly heaving up and down taking ragged gulps of air. She almost looked as if she were having a bad dream, Thomas thought. Her eyes had rolled into the back of her head and her entire body twitched and jolted. Maybe that’s exactly what it was like. The Flare. Like you were stuck in a bad dream that you can’t escape from. Your own biology sending you into an inescapable panic.

The only comfort Thomas had was the sounds of the Right Arm’s Doctor preparing something she had promised would help Brenda. 

“In the beginning, we were lost.” 

Thomas turned his head as the Doctor, Mary’s voice cut through the sounds of Brenda’s panting. 

“All we knew for sure was that the younger you were the stronger your chances.” 

Realisation suddenly dawned on Thomas and he shifted his entire body to face her, “You worked for WICKED?”

A remorseful look passed across the Doctor’s face at Thomas’ question and her hands came to an abrupt stop. She nodded, keeping her eyes downcast and pointedly not looking back at Thomas. 

“A long time ago.” She resumed her work, still not making eye contact, “You know, at first, we had the best intentions. Find a cure, save the world.”

She said the last part in an almost mocking tone, as if it were a slogan on a propaganda poster. Thomas wouldn’t even rule that out as a possibility. 

“It was clear you kids were the key, because you were immune.” She finally looked back to Thomas, “But why?” 

It was the same question that had been running through his mind ever since he stuck a griever stinger into his thigh, though it plagued him he had never thought he would actually get an answer. He kept quiet, allowing the Doctor to continue.

“Eventually we found an answer. An enzyme produced by the brains of the immune, once separated from the bloodstream it can serve as a powerful agent to slow the spread of the virus” 

Thomas blinked, Mary’s words hitting him as if he had been punched in the chest. 

“So, you found a cure?” 

Mary shook her head, “Not exactly.” 

She appeared pensive for a moment, “the enzyme can’t be manufactured, only harvested from the immune. The young.” 

Thomas connected the dots in his head. The Gladers and everyone else who had been put inside a maze had known that WICKED was not their friend. After all they had allowed countless children to die for the sake of an experiment. But Thomas’ stomach lurched as he thought of how many more would die if WICKED had done what they wanted to do. 

“Of course that didn’t stop WICKED,” Thomas barely refrained a scoff at Mary’s words, “If they had their way they’d sacrifice an entire generation. All…” 

She held up a syringe filled with a blue liquid, “...for this.” 

Thomas almost laughed as he saw the liquid. How many friends had he lost? Alby, Chuck, Winston, everyone else who followed him into that fucking maze. For a couple of drops of blue liquid. For a second he was worried he might grab it from Mary’s hands and crush it. But then she pushed the needle into Brenda’s arm and she instantly relaxed, looking now as if she were just in dreamless sleep; and Thomas pushed aside those thoughts. 

“How long will that give her?” 

“A few months maybe,” Mary sighed, “That’s the catch, isn’t it? She’ll always need more.”

As the morbid realisation that this wasn’t a cure for Brenda, just a temporary reprieve hung in the air, the sound of someone entering the makeshift tent caught Thomas’ attention. Newt; who always felt like a breath of fresh air after being stuck in a hot room, entered, now wearing a thick coat that must have been gifted by the Right Arm and holding a cup of something warm. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Newt said to Mary before shifting his eyes to Thomas, “I thought you might be hungry so I brought you some soup.” 

He held out the cup and Thomas took it gratefully, the warmth sinking into his cold fingers. He hadn’t even noticed he was hungry but now his stomach growled at the smell of hot food. Newt always seemed to know what Thomas needed, even when he didn’t know himself. 

“Thanks Newt.” 

Newt smiled at him, “Come join us outside when you’re ready.” He patted Thomas’ shoulder briefly before leaving. 

Thomas’ eyes stayed on the exit after Newt had gone for a second, choosing not to think too hard about the warmth curling in his chest. He had gotten good at that. 

“You know, Thomas…” Mary’s voice startled Thomas from his thoughts, and he turned back around to see a small, almost sad smile playing at her lips. 

“What?” 

She paused before continuing, as if giving Thomas a moment to prepare for what she was about to say. The action made him tense. 

“When you leaked WICKED information to us, they had been sending your friends into the Maze’s for years.” She continued, looking carefully at Thomas. 

Despite having next to no recollection of his previous life, Thomas shuddered at the thought of watching his friends be sent into those places, knowing what creatures lurked in the Maze.

“We were suspicious of you. We knew they had been sending you kids in for years so we wanted to know what suddenly changed your mind; for all we knew you were a spy for WICKED.” Mary looked down guiltily. 

Thomas hadn’t even stopped to think that there may have been some sort of catalyst. Something that tipped him over the edge that would make him do something so dangerous as leak WICKEDs facilities. He cared so deeply for his friends that he can scarcely believe it took years for him to finally do something about it, nevermind wait around for something to finally open his eyes as to what he needed to do. 

“Thomas,” Mary snatched back his attention, “they sent him in.”

Her head tipped towards the entrance of the room where Newt had just been standing. Thomas briefly looked back at the entrance before turning back to the Doctor, confused. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“I suppose that was WICKEDs final cruel trick, sending you into the same Maze knowing neither of you would remember each other.” 

“Wait,” Thomas leaned forward, “Me and Newt knew each other? Before the Maze?” 

“You didn’t just know each other, he’s the reason you finally went against WICKED.” Mary looked at Thomas, trying to read his reaction, “When I asked you what caused your sudden change of heart you told me, ‘They took Newt’” 

Thomas’ thoughts raced. He had known Newt before the Glade? All this time he had thought Teresa was the only one from his life before that he knew, but apparently he knew Newt well enough that he risked his life for him.

What surprises Thomas the most is that he’s not actually surprised at all. 

Newt, who was the first face he saw in the Glade. Newt who was one of the first to trust him, to make him a Runner and listen to what he had to say. Newt who always knows exactly what to say. Who was there for Thomas from the beginning. Of course he had risked his life for him. He would do the same now.

“God, I didn’t recognise Newt before but of course that’s him. Of course you two are still together.” Mary smiled, genuine and hopeful, looking back to the entrance of the tent. 

“But why was Newt so special? If I had been watching WICKED take my friends for years what made him different?” 

The Doctor’s gaze shot back to him, “I think you already know that answer to that question Thomas.” 

And yeah, Thomas did. 

“C’mon, let’s go outside and leave Brenda to rest.” Mary tentatively touched Thomas’ shoulder and ushered him out of the tent. 

It was dusk now, the sun now low enough in the sky that campfires had been set up, groups gathering around them to heat food and warm their hands. Thomas’ lips quirked as he noticed Aris excitedly telling a story to Sonya and Harriet. He continued to scan the camp until his eyes finally landed on Minho, Frypan and Newt sat a little further up the hill. 

Now knowing exactly what he needed to do now that they had finally stopped running, Thomas climbed. 

The Glader’s all greeted him as he approached. He nodded at Frypan and Minho before taking a seat next to Newt, hesitantly sitting close enough that their thighs touched. Newt was looking at him, as if he knew Thomas had something on his mind. He always knew. 

Thomas isn’t sure what Newt was to him before the Maze, how could he know? All he does know is that he likes the way Newt always touches Thomas’ shoulder when he needs calming down. He knows that he likes the way his voice is so easy to listen to when everything seems too loud. He knows he likes his smile and the way his hair dances gently in the breeze.

He knows he can’t imagine any lifetime where he isn’t in love with him. 

“You okay, Tommy?” 

And he is. Of course he is. Because when he slips his hand into Newt’s, an unspoken conversation in their eyes, Newt squeezes back. And smiles. 

“Yeah, I’m okay.” 

Perhaps if he hadn't allowed himself to get lost in russet eyes he might have noticed Teresa turn away from the interaction as lights approached from the distance. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading! this definitely isn't my best but to be honest this idea has been in my head for a while and i just wanted to get it out. and since it's really dialogue heavy (not something i often do) i didn't want it to become tedious so i kept it pretty simple and sweet. and i haven't written these characters in TIME so it's a little rocky. any more constructive criticism is very welcome in the comments!! :)


End file.
